#1 in the country, Greg Olsen

Steve Ryan

07/30/2002

For those that aspire to at least see the best, stop right here. For any that want to see somethign performed at it's highest level of play at a certain level of a sport, look no further. There's a reason that Greg Olsen has enough offers to wallpaper his house. Greg being the best tight end in the country could have something to do with that.

Greg Olsen - TE/DE - 6-6, 242, 4.62/40 - Wayne, NJ (Wayne Hills) - If you are considered to be the best there is in all of the United States, there's not much left to prove. If you are considered to be the cream of the crop at what you do, there's not much else you have to say. The insiders rates Greg as the best TE in high school football. Now, you are just wondering where Olsen will end up. So are we.

Who have you been offered by? Yeah, that's normally a question I would ask. In Greg's case though, I won't. My phone bills are already too high, I can't sit on the phone for that long so he can name off all 60+ teams that are trying to get him to come to their school . It's better just to look at who he's looking at and go from there.

And that is? "I've narrowed my list down to like 10 or 12" Olsen stated. An approximation of that list would go as follows: Tennessee, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Stanford, Syracuse, UCLA and Virginia. If you think that is too long of a list at this point in time, you get 60 written offers and see how easy it is for you to make a decision.

Greg Olsen is described in a multitude of ways. In fact, the adjectives are just about run out. Dominant on both sides of the ball, Olsen is said to be an incredible drive blocker, an insatiable pass rusher and potentially, another Jeremy Shockey type player. Lofty praise, but it's not praise you might have seen just once or twice, it's been repetitive by just about any and all.

Instead of asking the experts though, let's ask the man himself on what he thinks makes him the player he is. "I just think that my size is a strength." Olsen stated. "It's not easy for linebackers and d-backs to try and block me when I split out and I can still come in and block like an interior lineman."

Greg describes his ability on offense, but he does play defense as well. Totaling 91 tackles and 12 sacks last season, his versatility is obvious, but that would beg the question, which does he like best? "To be honest, I don't really have a preference." Olsen stated. "If I had to make a decision, I would pick offense, but if a coach said they needed me to play defense, I would be all for that."

Greg has to officials in mind that he plans on scheduling, one to Notre Dame and one to Tennessee, but it still very open as to the other three visits he will take. As for when he makes his decision "I think that my decision isn't anywhere in the near future." Greg stated. "I think maybe throughout the up-coming season or throughout the winter, I will probably make my decision."

Is there anyone that won't be waiting for when that happens? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?